I'm starting to get tired of the warnings about everyday things that Homeland Security is claiming terrorists will use in future attacks. First it was laser pointers. I find it exceptionally hard to believe that the one-in-a-billion shot required to temporarily blind a pilot is something we need to be worried about. While it's true that a recent Slate article made mention of high-powered lasers and their potential to blind pilots, it seems that those scenarios are equally unlikely. And wouldn't the problem be easily solved by placing polarized or otherwise filtered glass in airplane cockpits? Instead, Homeland Security has chosen the alarmist path once again, trying to make everyone paranoid that there are terrorists sitting at the end of runways trying to blind pilots upon take off or landing.
The most recent bullshit concerns cheap watches. Some of these watches have hidden cigarette lighters in them. Others have altimeters. There are a few things that bug me about the recent alarm concerning these watches.
First of all, aren't cigarette lighters routinely allowed on planes? I've traveled many times since 9/11, and I've never had a problem with cigarette lighters on planes. No one has ever even mentioned anything about them to me at airport security. If Homeland Security is concerned about cigarette lighters, shouldn't they first move to confiscate cigarette lighters that aren't hidden in watches?
The other thing that bugs me is the singling out of a particular watch brand - Casio.
"Casio watches have been extensively used by al-Qaida and associated organizations as timers for improvised explosive devices. The Casio brand is likely chosen due to its worldwide availability and inexpensive price."
Am I to believe that Casios are particularly dangerous? It's not like there aren't other brands of cheap watches out there. Why single out Casio? I'm sure it wouldn't be terribly difficult for a terrorist to invest in some other brand of inexpensive watch, but Homeland Security wants us to be on the lookout for Casio. I can almost see the corporate folks at Casio freaking out because of the brand damage they're likely to suffer because some fool at Homeland Security decided they needed to be singled out.
Needless to say, this is all bullshit. To what end it's been disseminated to the public, I can't say for sure. Perhaps it's to convince the public that Homeland Security is actually doing something about terrorism and not sitting on its ass. Maybe it's a distraction thing. Who knows?
Posted by THespos at January 4, 2005 09:12 AM | TrackBackI'll tell you what's bullshit. Being treated like a terrorist in your own damn country!! I don't swear much, but that's changed since I moved to California from KY in Jan 06.
I was born in New York and moving to Kentucky in 1995 was easily accomplished--no problem getting a driver's license, bank account, etc. But not now---not since Bush decided that I'm a major threat to homeland security.
I opened a new bank account in California no problem, and deposited $1400. I tried to remove $1200 about a week later to rent an apartment and I was told that my KY driver's license wasn't good enough; I needed to show a CA DL. I showed three forms of ID (KY DL, SS card, credit card), but that wasn't good enough. After 45 minutes of raising hell, I finally got my money and was advised to get a CA DL ASAP.
I later went to do the right thing and get a CA driver's license with my SS card, a copy of my birth certificate, and my valid KY driver's license. Enough proof that I'm a US citizen, right? WRONG!! The evil woman tells me I need a certified original birth certificate, which I'd lost years ago and didn't need when I traveled to Canada, the Bahamas, or Mexico.
So fine. Now I've obtained my original certified birth certificate from NY (which I was able to get with only a copy of my KY DL and $10). I now go into a different DMV office in CA with everything I need to get my license. This time another evil woman tells me my birth name doesn't match my SS card. No shit! I got married 20 years ago in New York. She tells me I need my marriage certificate to prove I changed my name. I tell her I've been divorced for 10 years and why in hell would I save my marriage certificate? She says, "Well, due to 9/11, everything is changed." I told her, using a few choice words,what she can do with her CA DL. I'll stay illegal. Now THAT'S bullshit!!
I wonder what prison Bush would send me to if he ever saw my library book loan history: The History of Religion, Identity Theft, Starting a Corporation in the US, to name just a few.
I'd say what I'd like to see happen to George W, but I'm not going to press my luck. Thanks for listening.
Posted by: Kathy Ryan at March 3, 2006 07:33 PM
All comments are property of the individual poster who left them. Everything else, copyright 2005, Tom Hespos